Memorial Day Monday May 28, 2007

I had planned to be up and exercise, do some household chores and head down to the Eyes Wide Open Exhibit at noon for the closing ceremony. Then I would be one of the volunteers to help dismantle this last full exhibit of the boots of our fallen soldiers in combat. I awoke about 7:30 but could not get up out of bed. I thought, "The blessings of being single. I can take my time and spend the day as it unfolds." I ate breakfast, paid some bills, thought about laundry, said, "No" and headed down to Grant Park and "Eyes Wide Open."

The day was bright and warm in Chicago and there were many persons walking through the boots, pausing to read the personal notes and look at the mementos left by families and friends with the some of the boots. The gentleman who travelled at least once with the boots for 93 days during these last 3 years spoke of the power of the exhibit and gave two examples.

A woman was done with shopping at the market in NYC, her arms were loaded with bags filled with groceries. She was not looking at where she was. She was crossing the boots in the square laid out in their familiar pattern. She became concerned when she realized where she was "amongst the boots." Looking down she saw her own son's boots at her side.

Another mother was crossing a busy square. She heard names being read. She heard her son's name being read. She looked down and she was standing next to his boots.

For a Jungian like myself, these are instances of synchronicity. Important, meaningful events that occur unplanned and over which we have no control. You may call it God, the power of the human mind, the unconsciousness. For me it points to the reality under girding and connecting all of life. Those alive and those who have died.

We heard again from the young man from Iraq challenging us to become involved in the political process at the state level, with each Congressperson. To develop relationships with State officials especially around health care and services for soldiers and their families. I sent him my bio for peace and stated "if the presence of a soldier's mom would help" please contact me.

As a symbol of the separation of the boots. A short biography of the first casualty from each state was read and his/her boots were given to a volunteer. Some were drivers who would take all the boots from the state back to a peace group or Friend's meeting to care for the exhibit.

Then the time came. About 40 of us had volunteered. The taking down and packing away would take us about a total of 3 hours. First from each state the boots with personal items were set beside the bins and boxes that lined the drive into the park. They states were placed in alphabetical order. Then we were broken down into 8 teams with specific instructions for each state. As the boots will be re-tagged we picked up the specific number of boots, not worrying about the state. I worked with Sue and Rachel from Codepink Chicago. And with Lisa the wife of a friend from Call to Action and her daughter. Sue and I were to fill a bin with 15 pairs of regulation army boots. It as extremely heavy, my heart stopped, I thought "This is the weight of a dead body" taking two of us to do the carrying to its place. "We are carrying soldiers" was my feeling. It became a tender "tending of the dead" for me. All of symbol but heavy with the meaning of loss of life and suffering due to war.

We tenderly packed the boots from Alabama, Montana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Utah and Colorado. The largest, President Bush's own state of Texas. Where was he? This President that forbids America to see its fallen soldiers come home? This President who refused to answer Cindy Sheehan's question outside his ranch in Crawford, "Why did my son Casey have to die?" We talked of having Bush's daughters serve in Iraq. We saluted Molly Ivins from Austin Texas and her "speaking truth to power."

Thank you American Friends Service Committee especially Mike McConnell the Regional director who proposed the exhibit in 2003.

The three days of the final complete exhibit of Eyes Wide Open are gone on the winds of time. I could not imagine being anywhere else than with the boots of our fallen soldiers to "Honor the dead, Heal the wounded, End the war." I thought "If I were still married, I would be at a BBQ or somewhere socializing." I cannot do that anymore. Amongst the Peacemakers is my place, doing the work of peace is my life for as long as God gives me. I am thankful this Memorial Day for my life and pray that my son Captain Jason Scott, medically retired had a good day with friends in the Florida sunshine. As always, I hold him and Jodi in my heart.

Coming back to the apartment, I knew I had to "give therapy to myself." I had purchased some flats of annuals for around the apartment foundation planting. I spent an hour planting and listening to the birds sing evensong. So beautiful a prayer of thanksgiving for the day from creation. May our soldiers be at eternal rest and their families find comfort. Blessings to each of you this Memorial Day and for the rest of the summer.